Dead rats, vermin, raw sewage and slurry are mixed through flood waters

A SOUTH Galway farmer said that he had seen grown men cry over the horrendous impact of the recent flooding that is now posing a serious health and environmental risk to families in the area.

Michael Kelly from Cregclare, Ardrahan, said that dead rats and vermin were now floating on the flood waters in many areas with raw sewage another serious problem.

“This has to stop for the people of South Galway. They just cannot endure these kinds of conditions ever again – the time for talking and stalling is now over,” said Michael Kelly.

He said that two things now needed to happen as a matter of urgency – there had to be derogation from Europe on the Habitats Directive while there needed to be an immediate change in Irish legislation in relation to septic tank and slatted housing flooding.

“As things stand under the current legislation, there is no allowance made for the impact of septic tanks and slatted sheds being flooded in the cost benefit analysis studies being carried out.

“This has to change. The health and environmental impact of septic tanks and slatted tanks being flooded has to be taken into account in any cost benefit analysis. Surely that would make common sense to anyone,” said Michael Kelly.

He said that the flooding in the Ardrahan and South Galway area was at least 30% worse than 2012/13 or November, 2009.

“It’s time to call a spade a spade in South Galway. What’s more important – the people who live there or the wildlife and in the heel of the hunt, this kind of flooding is a disaster for the wildlife as well as the local people,” said Michael Kelly.

He added that the really infuriating aspect of the South Galway flooding crisis was that the problem was largely solvable with the completion of the Dunkellin River project and the provision of the channel to the sea at Kinvara from the greater Kiltartan area.

“As regards the Dunkellin, we are talking here about work being carried out on three to four bridges as well as the widening and deepening of the river channel.

“This is not rocket science but for the last 20 years, this project has been dogged by delays, planning wrangles and obstacles put in the way by various interest groups.